My photography and experiences.

Iowa State Parks

January 08, 2016

Currently I am getting some instruction during an individual critique session given by Tony Sweet ( www.tonysweet.com ). This is my second set of sessions in the last three years and his experience in the field and behind the computer makes for a lot of help in learning and improving, which is really what I'm after. If I hadn't been so impressed with his first set of sessions I would have never done another and the usefulness of his instruction has been extremely helpful. He digs into the nitty gritty of composition, editing and finalizing an image for printing. Many would criticize that he is too "picky", but picky is what any artist needs when it comes to avoiding pitfalls and bad habits.

The most recent sessions have caught some bad habits that have crept into some of my compositions. The main one is defined by the above quote in that I have been making the image canvas bigger than it needs to be with extraneous information that is empty and detracts from the essence and strength of the subject. When he points these regresses out while he's working on my image it becomes so clear that most often my inner voice is saying, "what was I thinking?"

As with his location workshops, which I've taken and thoroughly enjoyed, he makes this stuff fun and always, always finds the positives. A long ago art professor taught me that lesson during a watercolor critique on one of my pieces. It involved a location painting which had a white picket fence and after he got done pointing out some of the pitfalls in different areas, he focused on the picket fence and told both me and the class that it was the most beautiful picket fence he'd seen. As I've grown older and I realize that he'd seen a lot better picket fences in his life, but he knew what "drove my motor".

This scene is from this past week after a beautiful frost at sunrise. It's a place that I go to often and even if I come away empty handed, which isn't likely, I get the view and the envelope of silence while looking out and wondering about the history of where I stand. The Little Sioux River Valley lies below and just in front past the fence line is a preserved native prairie. This scene has been seen by our ancestors and much different after the farm buildings, which are behind me, were built. A wild place with indian tribes, tall grass prairies for as far as the eyes could see and herds of buffalo that seemed never ending.

Thank you for joining me here and have a good weekend.

"Sic 'em Bears" CONGRATS TO THE BAYLOR FOOTBALL TEAM FOR ITS INCREDIBLE WIN IN THE RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL......"SIC 'EM BEARS".

December 26, 2015

Wishing all my followers a belated wonderful Christmas and prosperous new year. Nothing is quite so fun as experiencing the joys of Christmas and then turning the leaf to a new year. Where does the time fly?

The blog image is from the north end of Spirit Lake, near Mini Wakan State Park in Iowa, and takes in the consequences of an unusual winter thaw...a little hiccup in the season that included these "blocks" of broken ice floating casually on the waters surface. A little unusual for this early winter season, but not unwelcome when we know that there is still winter "seasoning" to come.

The sunrise, drifting cloud formations and reflections on the water and ice are a little much for me to pass up as I set up the tripod and my Canon 5D Mark II for this vertical shot. It was a choice between a vertical format showing the many pieces of fractured ice or showing the expansive cloud formation and sunrise. I chose the clouds as it would not have seemed right to cut off the the huge diagonal line of the cloud and blue sky, especially considering I could include the "repeating" diagonal with the ice in the lower right of the image.

The editing was done in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) as I'm finding it using this editing option doesn't seem to intensify the noise problems as so many other HDR editing programs tend to do. I followed that with some work in NIK Color Efex Pro as I could paint in a little more detail in the textures of the foreground ice pads, without affecting the rest of the image softness. This option along with the U-Point technology of the NIK products make it a go to plug in when working with a lot of my work.

When I converted the color image into a black and white using the NIK Silver Efex Pro plug in I noticed a scene of more intensity and punch as well as the sun's rays along the horizon.

Thank you all for joining me here and have a great Christmas season and 2016.

"Sic 'em Bears" Playing the University of North Carolina in the Russell Athletic Bowl, Dec. 29......"SIC 'EM BEARS".

June 14, 2014

We've had a number of foggy mornings during the past week which has made for some interesting location hunting to find situations that would not only reveal the beautiful nature of "wet air" but also the softness of the light. Having worked in a number of differing atmospheric conditions I find that fog presents the most elusive as one never knows the duration or the locations that it might take place. On this particular day it was extremely thick and found in every location I visited including this area near Gull Point State Park. Yet, on some days one might find it only in areas of topological depressions such as valleys and sink holes while on other days it might just be in lake areas.

This particular location is one that I pass on any number of days as it is a typical slough area with calm water and the occasional visiting egret and other waterfowl. On this day the fog gives a nice separation of the foreground tree from the background landscape as well as a quiet mood, which to me is inviting for restful thoughts and appreciation of the natural scene.

The editing work was accomplished in Adobe Photoshop CS6 while the digital painting option was worked through with the help of Alien Skin's "Snap Art" and Topaz "Simplify". By using the digital painting method I felt that the details were more muted to simple surface areas of color as well as lights and darks.

When I have the opportunity to work in foggy conditions it's a joy to be surrounded by the richness of colors as well as the soft qualities of light. The pace of the world seems to slow a bit while creative opportunities open one door at a time.

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my site and please come back and tell others as well. Have a great weekend. You can enjoy looking at my work at A Piece Of Work in downtown Spirit Lake as well as the Side Street Gallery in Arnolds Park and Arts On Grand in Spencer...all in the great state of Iowa, or, if you're in Minnesota check out the Lanesboro Arts Center in Lanesboro, which is a beautiful town rich with activities.

May 02, 2014

This is kind of a tale of change of heart, change of mind, or just change of thinking all having to do with this image of a Bloodroot flower I shot a couple of days ago. The first result was using a combination of textures to help darken the background as well as add a painterly quality to the background. In the past I've avoided using textures as I never really felt the need, but recently, through a bit of trial and error and just plain inquisitiveness I've spent a little more time using various textures (that have, by the way, sat in my filters file for quite some time) and deciding on when their use is relavent to a specific image.

As is my usual custom, I let the image set for a while, on my computer and in my mind, but soon started to feel the need to re-develop a visual concept that was more ethereal or perhaps delicate in nature. After spending a good deal of time with layers, masks, blending modes, etc. I came upon a result that I felt was more in line with my thinking of this particular grouping of flowers.

While I like both versions I feel that in the first the main flower shares it's space with the background and the other flowers are somewhat lost in the story. In the second I feel that the background recedes and the other flowers become part of a relationship or supporting cast to the main subject. I also like the luminence in the second which is more defining of the springs essence.

I don't know that I thought about any of this as I was involved with the mechanics of capture. I also don't know if that's a good or bad thing, either. I do know that in the early morning when light is rapidly changing a certain amount of quick decisions are paramount to getting a "successful" capture. I also have learned over time that NO image is truly "finished", especially when it is a digital capture. At the same time there is also various nuances to consider, some of which occur while the image is still fermenting in one's thoughts.

With all of the above in mind I would like to direct you to several photographers that are also dealing with the spring theme in their own ways, but marvelously so. The blogs of Tony Sweet, http://tonysweet.com/blog/, John Barclay, http://johnbarclayphotography.com/blog/, and Cole Thompson, http://www.photographyblackwhite.com/, specifically his "Preconceived Ideas" post, are excellent studies in nuance and thought processes.

Enjoy spring...it's finally found its way to our corner of northwest Iowa and thank you for being an important part of my efforts here.

My alcove at A Piece Of Work in downtown Spirit Lake is up and running and tonight is this years first "First Friday" artwalk. If you're near...join us.

April 05, 2014

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." Michelangelo

A couple of days ago my wife and I were outside raking leaves in the yard with no coats on. Yesterday, I was shoveling snow from the walkway and I thought that the road to spring is a very crooked one...at least this year. Be that as it may, I took advantage of the new fallen snow and colder temperatures to once again walk down into Ft. Defiance State Park hoping to find thin ice and clean snow.

The blog image is from the Spring Creek area and I was fascinated by the "trench" that the water had cut into the upper layer of frozen ice and snow. I would imagine that an early melt of water traveled the path of least resistance to gradually wear a "track" in the upper crust and finally reached the creek bed.

It was early morning, which necessitated making an HDR image from multiple exposures in order to bring the lights and darks into relevence in the final image. I used NIK HDR Efex for the process and then worked in Photoshop CS6, NIK Viveza and NIK Silver Efex for the final black and white composition.

While I spend a good deal of time and energy walking up and down the trails in this park, I find that nothing ever stays the same. Expecting the unexpected is what keeps me returning to this area that is a multiple of many small ecosystems offering mulitples of opportunities. It won't be long before the wildflowers begin to bloom in many differing phases depending on the species. Until then I will continue to enjoy the crisp cold mornings offering ice patterns and frosting of fall leaves.

I wish you all a bountiful spring full of nature's beautiful offerings. Take the time to recover from winter's cold with a walk in the parks near you.

March 21, 2014

“The biggest challenge, I think for any new artist, is patience.” Brett Eldredge

There’s one season of every year that drives me absolutely crazy and I like to call it the “tweener” season…that time between the end of winter and the beginning of spring. The landscape seems, in my opinion, to be empty. Deathly looking wasted browns topped in some places by dirty tired snow. It’s a time when I often wonder if I’ll ever make another image as I hike from one place to another looking for a glint of inspiration.

Such was the case a couple of days ago when I headed into one of my favorite state parks to shake out the mental cobwebs and get the motor running. Since the year has been lacking on moisture I wanted to check the creek areas in this park to see if water was once again flowing and I specifically wanted to look for some ice patterns that would serve as a subject. Last fall I had made an extra effort to start looking down as I walk through forest areas for leaf patterns and such and was pleased with several results. It only seemed appropriate to care that challenge forward to the “tweener” season.

The blog image is one of the results as it actually occurred near the creeks edge. These thin formations of ice that are continually melting away during the day and then freezing again during the evening to form thin layers complete with natural design patterns. The leaf just happened to be the “frosting on the cake”.

The capture was processed in Photoshop CS6 with various applications of NIK and Topaz software being applied to get to the end result. It is a perfect snippet of a “tweener” day and what it has to offer if one looks hard enough and believes that beauty can be as close as ones feet. It also was proof that spring is pushing its way in and winter is slinking out.

February 21, 2014

One of the things I enjoy most about photography is that the pursuit of the next image puts me in such peaceful places. Even if I'm along side a busy road my mind is involved with the process of creativity...the creation of parts into a whole.

Such was the case when I once again ventured into the woods of Ft. Defiance on a cold late winter afternoon. The sun was setting and I was looking for a canvas of shadows and light when I came upon a line of ski tracks that soon proved to be a part of the final concept.

During this whole time of discovery, conceptual figuring and final approach I was deep in a quiet forest with glistening, crackling snow and soft whispers of wind. It was nothing I hadn't experienced before, but it was a time of renewal, refreshment and joy.

The long beams of sunlight playing through the trees and lacing lights and darks across the trail of someone past. Little did the visitor know that what was left behind would become part of a creative session of mind, camera, vision and a certain amount of rejoicing.

Peace seeking is a selfish enterprise that I feel gives meaning to my photographic work and the creative process for me. It is my intention, through art, to give others that moment that was in front of me and the camera. The satisfaction is not of successful accomplishment, but the sharing of peaceful moments. In a world of clanking and clattering there is a great need for the healing of silence...of peace.

Thank you all for coming to my blog site and I wish you a great and happy weekend.

December 06, 2013

“”And finally Winter, with its bitin’ whinin’ wind, and all the land will be mantled with snow.” Roy Bean

I don’t ask for much…not blizzards of white stuff, just a nice fresh covering of white to make winter seem more like winter so that I can make fresh tracks in the landscape again. The saying, “be careful what you wish for” is not foreign to me and that’s why when I wish I usually have a list of qualifications that go with it. It’s really no different than my wife insisting on a real Christmas tree to make Christmas seem more like Christmas, that I need snow to make Winter seem more like Winter. It’s really quite simple.

There is a certain freshness that snow brings with the landscape just as spring flowers bring a certain “newness” to the earth. Spring would be a sad affair if Snow Trilliium’s didn’t dot the forest landscape and tulips weren’t pushing upwards in gardens around towns. Summer would fail, in my humble opinion, if the skies weren’t dressed in puffy marshmallow clouds, which are usually brought on by hot humid days and a certain stillness in the air.

Fall suppresses our angst of winter by playing a sort of “shell game” with our minds and providing such a painted landscape of gold’s and red’s that we forget what’s coming in the days ahead. Even knowing that we would never wish to miss a golden day of Fall.

So, I’ve said it…maybe not eloquently, but those of us that live in the land of four seasons are hardy of heart and spirit because we pull on our boots, grab our shovels and clear a path so that friends can join us by the fire and the postman/woman can bring us Christmas cheer from far away friends and family.

Winter is God’s way of providing and end…and a beginning. It’s a Divine gift of water frozen into beautiful crystals that provides sledding for the young and beauty for the rest of us. Rain is rain, but snow is special.

Thank you all for enduring this flight of fancy. My wife understands your frustration!

May 10, 2013

Once the Spring season begins it's "pedal to the metal" in order to capture all the natural surprises and we haven't even gotten into the tulip bloom and I've got about 80 new plantings that are just now peaking toward the sky. It seems like everytime I take the walk down into one of our state parks something new has revealed itself.

The blog image is of a Trout Lily, which are just now showing up in the low lying areas in local forests. They're only about 3 -4 inches in height and it takes some real shrinking to get a birds eye view of this delicate flower. As I've told many, as they spy me proned on the ground, the view is better from down here!

As added amusement I've just recieved a notice from a local magazine that submissions are being taking for their Fall print. Imagine that...we've just shaken off the snow (sorry, shouldn't have said that) and it's time to search the 2012 files for fall color. I'm still waiting for the greening of the trees!

Thanks for visiting the site and I hope you all take time to smell the roses...or tulips. Just get out in the Spring air.

May 03, 2013

"We all start in this medium because of the magic and the challenge is to keep it going." John Sexton

I spent a few days this past week in Ft. Defiance State Park as the Snow Trillium's were beginning to bloom and having the time of my life. I also spent most of that time laying on the ground for a more "up close and personal" view as I encourage many to do when working with floral subjects. The view is better from the soils surface as well as the aroma of Mother Nature. The blog image was also capture with the help of a Lensbaby lense attachment to my Canon 5D Mark II giving the soft dream like look.

The Snow Trillium is one of the first forest botanicals to break the surface of the ground and manages to compete it's two to three inch growth spurt in a couple of days with weathers cooperation. The simple blossom is an indication that winters grip has been broken, even if only for a few days, as was the case this year. A day later and another round of snow fell, but has quickly disappeared.

I've included a new link on the right side to a custom printing lab that I've just started working with. My own Epson printer is limited to a 13 inch width so any image of larger size requires an outside printing source. Gale Johnson of CDI has been a remarkable find and offers a personal service that is both reasonable in cost and exceptional in quality. Check out his link and give his service some thought.

Thank you all for your continued support and enjoy those treasures that are pushing up through the earth...and those that surround us called friends.